10/25/2005 @ 12:30AM

Most Expensive Off-The-Rack Men's Suits

For all of the pleasures of bespoke suits, there are downsides to them as well. For one thing, fittings take a lot of time. For another, the best ones cost a fortune.

Now, of course, there are some people for whom the status imparted by a bespoke suit is important enough to justify the cost. The knowledge that one is wearing the most expensive suit in the room can serve as a kind of psychological armor. Of course, many have a genuinely physical need. The extremely tall, short, skinny or round, for example, often have dimensions that only a custom-tailored suit can accommodate.

Fortunately for the rest of us, there are enough excellent off-the-rack suits that, with an alteration here and a cuff there, fit nearly as well as bespoke for considerably less money.

Also known as “ready-made,” “ready-tailored” and even “ready-for-wearing,” off-the-rack suits have come a long way in recent years, particularly at the higher price points, where pinched fits and ho-hum designs are now things of the past. “Most men do not require a made-to-measure suit,” says Bill Downes, a men’s buyer of many years experience for Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco, noting that off-the-rack suits outsell made-to-measure suits 20-to-1 at his store. “There is a much larger range of high-end, ready-made clothing available now than in years past, and upscale clothing retailers generally stock suit models with a ‘universal fit’ that is appropriate for a broad range of men. Walk in, and I can fit you with no problem.”

Indeed, while the splurge appeal of custom and made-to-measure suits is still a draw for some shoppers, chances are they’d do just as well with a suit that could be fitted to their peers. “Our off-the-rack suits are the same make with the same natural shoulder as our custom suits,” says Jay Kos, a high-end New York suitmaker, whose beautifully made classic men’s suits have a wide appeal among the city’s heavier hitters. “Guys who are just coming into money want custom suits, so they can choose their own fabrics and details. But guys who already have a few custom suits are also buying off-the-rack if they see something great.”

For a high-priced look that fits as well on you as it does on the peg, we’ve compiled a list of the most expensive off-the-rack suits from various designers’ Fall 2005 men’s collections. They’re available right now–for a very well-fitting price.